European Leagues

FIFA can’t guarantee promised $30,000 per player at Women’s World Cup

FIFA President Gianni Infantino could make no guarantee Wednesday that the member federations will distribute the $30,000 payments promised to every player at the Women’s World Cup.

He said at a news conference ahead of the tournament opener that he’s engaging with member federations on the issue. The payments are made the national federations, which are expected to pay the players.

But there is no mechanism to directly pay the players the money, which could be life-changing for some.

”We are moving of course in the right direction, we have been consulting with associations, with players, to try to go in the right path,” Infantino said. ”We have issued these recommendations, but we have an association of associations. So whatever payments we do, we will go through the associations and then the associations will, of course, make the relevant payments to their own players. We are in touch with all the associations.”

FIFA had previously confirmed that the 732 players participating in the World Cup will be paid at least $30,000 each. The paycheck rises if teams do well, with each player for the winning team earning $270,000.

Infantino said there are complications including residency and taxation that are best handled by federations.

The payment is significant for many players: the average annual salary worldwide for women who play professionally is $14,000.

FIFA’s agreement means that half of the total World Cup prize money fund of $110 million will be paid to the players in the 32 teams. The prize pool is more than three times the $30 million prize fund FIFA paid out at the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France.

The global players’ union, known as FIFPRO, helped push FIFA to dedicate a percentage of the prize money to the players themselves. The union sent a letter to FIFA in October on behalf of players from 25 national teams calling for more equitable conditions and prize money.

However, the prize money fund is still far below the $440 million paid to the men who played in the World Cup last year in Qatar. Infantino said the goal is to equalize the prize money by the 2026 men’s World Cup and the 2027 women’s edition.

Infantino said the Women’s World Cup is expected to generate a half-billion dollars in revenue and the organization will break even. For the first time, the commercial rights for the Women’s World Cup were sold separately from the men’s tournament.

The tournament opens Thursday with both co-hosts involved. New Zealand will play Norway in Auckland, and Australia will take on Ireland in Sydney.

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European Leagues

Casemiro Dazzles As Gabriel Suffers Nightmare Injury Blow

Stunning first-half goals from Casemiro and Estevao capped a rampant display from Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil side in a 2-0 win over Senegal at the Emirates Stadium.

The Chelsea youngster opened the scoring with a curled effort, before the veteran midfielder doubled the lead with a delectable touch and finish.

However, there was bad news for the Gunners fans in attendance, as Gabriel limped off on the hour with what looked like a serious injury.

The Selecao set a fierce pace to the proceedings, with Edouard Mendy’s goal under almost constant assault. Matheus Cunha clipped the outside of the post and saw a headed effort cannon off the bar before Chelsea winger Estevao latched onto a Rodrygo through ball and curled a left-footed finish past Edouard Mendy and into the net after 28 minutes.

Brazil doubled their lead just eight minutes later as a training ground routine saw Casemiro peel off to the back post, calmly control the ball and then bend a delicious shot into the far corner.

Senegal did threaten a response, with Ederson drawn into a save by Ismaila Sarr, while the former Manchester City goalkeeper had a fright at the start of the second period, lingering on the ball to allow substitute Nicolas Jackson to charge down his pass – Iliman Ndiaye really should’ve scored.

Unable to maintain their punishing pace of the opening 15 minutes, Brazil were increasingly content to sit back, allowing their opponents more than their fair share of the ball.

Indeed, the Selecao comfortably saw out the game to end the African nation’s 10-game unbeaten run, but not before Arsenal’s metronomic centre-back Gabriel hobbled off with what looked to be a groin problem, an injury that will no doubt infuriate Mikel Arteta.

Goal.com

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European Leagues

Man United Star Opens Up On ‘Mistake’ As £40m Star’s Exile Continues

Manchester United stars are away with the international break in full flow and they’ll return with a match against Everton on their minds.

Ruben Amorim’s side drew 2-2 with Tottenham before players jetted off to represent their countries.

After a lacklustre start to the campaign United are sitting seventh in the Premier League, just four points off second place. They have not lost a top-flight fixture since late September.

The Toffees will be their opponents when a select group returns from international duty and one star who has jetted away with Portugal is captain Bruno Fernandes.

Bruno Fernandes on Cristiano Ronaldo error
United captain Fernandes is away with Portugal but was suspended when they faced Ireland on Thursday. Two goals from Troy Parrott gave the hosts a 2-0 advantage before half-time.

As Portugal tried to get back in the tie, record goalscorer Ronaldo was shown a red card in the 61st minute for a swinging elbow. Fernandes has come to the defence of the former United forward, but admits this “mistake” did cost Portugal.

“It was just a football moment,” said Fernandes ahead of his country’s match with Armenia. “Cristiano reacted in a way he didn’t intend and it cost the team. He knows he made a mistake but such moments happen.”

“Ireland defended well. We moved the ball too slowly. We need to be quicker and more direct. But we analyse mistakes the same way in wins or losses.”

Matthijs de Ligt’s woes continue
Dutchman Matthijs de Ligt has been solid at the back under Amorim this season but it appears Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman does not highly regard him. He has regularly been excluded from teams and squads by Koeman over the last 12 months but was recalled this week.

However, when the Netherlands faced Poland on Friday, De Ligt, signed by United for £40m from Bayern Munich in 2024, was limited to zero minutes from the bench – only adding to his international woes. His side drew 1-1 and Koeman unleashed on his defence, despite not utilising De Ligt.

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Premier League

Leandro Trossard’s Stunning Evolution Impresses Former Coach Amid Arsenal Breakout Season

Leandro Trossard Celebrating A Goal For Arsenal

Leandro Trossard’s Stunning Evolution Impresses Former Coach Amid Arsenal Breakout Season

Leandro Trossard has been nothing short of sensational this season — but perhaps the most surprising person in the world right now is the man who coached him years ago.
Peter Maes, the former Genk boss who oversaw Trossard’s early development, admits he can hardly believe the transformation.

Why? Because the player Arsenal fans now hail as calm, reliable and incredibly decisive was once… a serial sulker.

From Sulking Youngster to Arsenal’s Silent Weapon

With Gabriel Martinelli sidelined, Trossard has owned Arsenal’s left flank with confidence and consistency. In 14 matches across competitions, he has delivered four goals and four assists — numbers that have directly earned the Gunners crucial Premier League points, including his match-winning strike against Fulham.

Inside the club, coaches routinely praise his level-headedness. They call him a player who shuts out noise, focuses on work, and stays locked in mentally — a far cry from the player Maes once struggled to manage.

The Coach Who Didn’t See It Coming

Speaking to Belgian outlet Het Belang van Limburg, Maes shared his honest surprise:

“At that time, I didn’t immediately see Leandro as a true captain… he wasn’t a regular starter yet, and he often sulked in training.”

But fast-forward to 2024, and he sees a completely different man.

“It’s true that Leandro is a strong personality now. He believes in himself deeply and can convey that belief to others.”

With Belgium missing key leaders like Kevin De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans, Trossard is even being considered for the national team captaincy. That’s how far he’s come.

Transfer Interest? Arsenal Closed the Door

Roma tried.
Fenerbahce asked questions.
Saudi clubs — as usual — hovered.

But Mikel Arteta didn’t blink. He wasn’t selling.

Trossard’s versatility across the front line, combined with his leadership maturity, makes him invaluable in a squad competing on four fronts.

Big Nights, Big Goals — Trossard Loves It

Fresh off scoring in Arsenal’s Champions League win over Athletic Club, Trossard explained why he thrives in pressure moments:

“Those games are why you want to become a footballer… I love the big games. We’ve been so close to winning something — it’s time to push for trophies.”

That hunger is precisely what Arsenal fans want to hear.